All Chapters of The billionaire’s dirty deal: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

We don’t say anything on the drive home.Not because there’s nothing to say.But because there’s too much.Jamie is the first to break the silence.“He likes you,” he says from the backseat.Grayson keeps his eyes on the road. “You think so?”“Yes,” Jamie says confidently. “He gave you his car. Kids don’t do that unless they trust you.”Grayson’s fingers tighten slightly on the steering wheel.I reach over and rest my hand on his thigh.“He chose you,” I say softly.Grayson exhales slowly.“I chose him too.”That night, none of us can focus on anything.The TV is on, but nobody is watching.Jamie is on the floor playing with the puppy, but he keeps glancing at us.Grayson sits beside me, quiet, distant in thought.Finally, he speaks.“What if he’s scared of us?”“He is,” I answered honestly.Grayson nods. “I would be too.”Jamie looks up. “He wasn’t scared of you, Dad.”Grayson looks at him.“He looked at you like…” Jamie pauses. “Like he wanted you to be his dad.”Grayson’s expressio

Three weeks later, everything falls apart.It’s a normal evening.Rocket is chewing on one of Grayson’s shoes.Jamie is arguing with me about pizza toppings.Grayson is on the phone in his office.Then I hear his voice change.It goes quiet.Too quiet.I walk toward the office slowly.He’s standing still, his back to the door.“…What do you mean?” he says into the phone.My stomach tightens.Pause.Then “No. That’s not possible.”My heart starts pounding.Another pause.His hand tightens around the phone.“…I understand,” he says coldly.He hangs up.He doesn’t move.“Grayson?” I whisper.He turns around slowly.His face is pale.“What happened?”He looks at me like he doesn’t know how to say it.“Ethan’s case…”My chest tightens.“What about it?”He swallows.“He has a biological family.”Everything stops.“What?”“A relative came forward.”The words feel like knives.“No,” I whisper.Grayson runs his hand through his hair.“They filed for custody.”I feel like the air has been ripp

The next morning, Grayson is already awake when I open my eyes.He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at his phone.He hasn’t slept.Again.“Grayson,” I say softly.He turns his head.His eyes look darker than usual. Tired. Angry. Focused.“I need to tell you something,” he says.My stomach tightens. “Okay.”He hesitates.Then he says, “Stephen isn’t just trying to take the company.”I sit up slowly.“He’s trying to erase me.”The words hang in the air.“What do you mean?”Grayson runs his hand through his hair.“He’s been contacting board members. Investors. Even old employees. He’s telling them I stepped down because I’m unstable.”“That’s not true,” I say immediately.“I know,” Grayson replies quietly. “But reputation doesn’t care about truth. It cares about perception.”My chest tightens.“And Ethan?”Grayson looks at me.“If they convince the court I’m unstable…”“They’ll never let us adopt him,” I finished.He nods.Silence fills the room.Then I reac

The doorbell rang at exactly 9:17 p.m.Leo froze mid-step.Grayson looked up from the kitchen island where he had been pretending to read emails he hadn’t actually processed in the last twenty minutes.They weren’t expecting anyone.And lately… unexpected visitors didn’t mean anything good.“I’ll get it,” Grayson said quietly.Leo grabbed his wrist before he could move. “Wait.”Their eyes locked.Not the loud kind. The quiet, parental kind. The kind that lived in your chest and whispered worst-case scenarios about your child.Grayson squeezed his hand gently. “It’s okay.”It wasn’t okay.But he opened the door anyway.Standing on the porch was a woman in her late forties. Expensive coat. Perfectly styled hair. The kind of confidence that didn’t ask permission to exist.And beside her Grayson’s stomach dropped.Leo stood behind him now. “Who is ”The woman’s eyes flicked between them.“Good evening,” she said. “I’m Meredith Carter.”Leo’s fingers dug into Grayson’s arm.Carter.Leo’s

The pregnancy test sat on the bathroom counter like a dare.Grayson stared at it.Two pink lines.Life changing.Leo stood in the doorway, gripping the frame like the room might tilt.“Well?” he asked, voice barely steady.Grayson turned the stick around slowly.Leo’s breath left him in a rush.“Positive?”Grayson nodded.For a second, neither of them moved.Then Leo laughed.It wasn’t graceful or composed, it was wild and bright and a little terrifying.“Oh my God.”Grayson pulled him into his arms, both of them half laughing, half shaking.“We’re doing this,” Leo whispered against his neck.“We’re doing this,” Grayson echoed.They had decided on surrogacy months ago, quietly, carefully. After long talks at 2 a.m. After spreadsheets and fears and therapy sessions where Leo admitted he wanted another child not because of Meredith’s money or legacy but because their first son had made him believe in family again.Their surrogate, Hannah, had been steady and warm and matter of fact.“